Search location by ZIP code

FairPoint workers picket for "fair deal"

Employees picketed at several locations in Maine on Tuesday as the labor contract impasse comes to a head. WMTW News 8's Morgan Sturdivant reports.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 5:54 PM EDT Aug 12, 2014

FairPoint workers picket for "fair deal"

Employees picketed at several locations in Maine on Tuesday as the labor contract impasse comes to a head. WMTW News 8's Morgan Sturdivant reports.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 5:54 PM EDT Aug 12, 2014

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT FED UP FAIRPOINTCOMMUNICATIONSWORKERS HIT THESTREETS TODAY FORINFORMATIONALPICKETING.THEY SAY THEY'RETRYING TO EDUCATECUSTOMERS ABOUTTHE ROAD BLOCKSTHEY'VE FACEDDURING CONTRACTNEGOTIATIONS.WMTW NEWSEIGHT'S MORGANSTURDIVANT JOINSUS LIVE IN THESTUDIO NOW WITHTHE STORY.áááÑUNION EMPLOYEES ATFAIRPOINTCOMMUNICAITONSCONTINUE TO BE ATODDS WITHMANAGEMENTSURROUNDINGCONTRACTNEGOTIATIONS....FAIRNESS ATFAIRPOINT IS THEMANTRA OF THEUNHAPPY UNIONWORKERS. THEY SAYIT'S A SADTESTAMENT THAT ACOMPANY LIKEFAIRPOINT WOULDENTER THE MARKETAND NOT HOLD UPTHEIR END OF THEDEAL WHEN THEYINITIALLY PROMISEDNEW JOBS. 1:58:02"They promised 625good jobs in all threestates, Maine, NewHampshire andVermont, that has nothappened.And, now not only didthey not add the jobsbut now they want tooutsource them, andsend them out tocontractors, whether itbe outside workers orcall centers. "NEGOTIATIONS DIDN'TMEET A DEADLINEEARLIER THIS MONTHBETWEEN UNIONLEADERS ANDFAIRPOINT, WHO SAYSTHEY ARE LOOKINGTO MAKE NECESSARYTECHNICALADVANCES IN THEINDUSTRY. UNIONLEADERS SAYTHEY'RE STILL FARAPART WHEN ITCOMES TO ANAGREEMENT. 12:26:20Jennifer Nappi "Thecompany has proven tous that they areunwilling to be flexible,they've been incrediblyantagonistic, itappears to us they arenot looking to get acontract, it appears, inour personal opinions,they're gearing up foranother sale. " IN ASTATEMENT FROMFAIRPOINT THEY SAID"AT PRESENT THEPARTIES REMAIN FARAPART. OUR MAINGOAL IN THESENEGOTIATIONS IS TOBRING THE CONTRACTINTO THE NORMS OFTHE 21ST CENTURYAND REFLECT THECOMPETITIVEREALITY OF TODAY'STELECOMMARKETPLACEVERSUS THEMONOPOLYENVIRONMENT OFDAYS GONE BY."HEALTH BENEFITSARE ALSO AN ISSUEBETWEEN THE TWO.THE COMPANY SAYSTHEY SHOULDN'T BEPAYING 100% OFEMPLOYEES' HEALTHPREMIUMS. 2:45:27"We're not asking foranything, um, we justwant to keep what wehave."áááÑCONTRACTNEGOTIATIONS ARESET TO RESUMETOMORROW MORNINGAND PICKETERS SAYTHEY'LL BE OUT HEREAGAIN.LIVE IN THESTUDIO, MORGANSTURDIVANT, WMTW,